Supporting and adjusting mechanism for mining-machines.



N. D. LEVIN. A SUPPORTING AND ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR MINING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MARI 7| I9I3- RENEWED OCT. 16.19I7.

Patented May 28, 1918.,

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SUPPORTING AND ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR MINING MACHINES.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. I913. RENEWED OCT. '16, I917- 1,267,675.

Patented may 28,1918.

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SUPPORTING AND ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR MINING MACHINES.

7 APPLICATION FILED MAR- 19H RENEWED OCT- 15.19l7. 1,267,675. Patented-May 28,1918.

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SUP mm o TING MECHANISM FOR MINING HINES.

Ll N MAR. 7, I913. RENEWED OCT. 16. 1 ,267,675, Paten May 28,1918.

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Iv N ETED STATES PATENT UFFIQFQ NILS D. LEVIN, OF COLUMBUS OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JEFFREY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SUPPORTING AND ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR MINING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1918.

Original application filed September 30, 1911, Serial No. 652,099. Divided and this application filed March 7,

1913, Serial No. 752,742. Renewed October 16, 1917.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, NILs D. LEVIN, a citizen of-the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Supporting and Adjusting Mechanism for Mining-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in coal cutting machines and more especially to mechanism for raising and lowering and adjusting the main operative parts of such machines with respect to the base.

The object of the invention is to provide shown in Fig. 1, a second position of adjust ment being indicated bv dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of Figs. 2 and 4;

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines H of Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional View showing, the means for retaining the turntable in place upon its support.

Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views showing one way in which the machine can be operated. In these views the machine may be considered as cutting either a room or an entry,

Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views showing another way in which the machine can be operated. In these views the machine is shown cutting according to the longwall method,

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the frame and platform of the truck con Serial No. 196,975.

stituting a rigid base upon which the other parts of the machine are mounted. The truck platform is supported on axles 2, 2, and track wheels 3, 3*. One of the axles, as, for instance 2, is extended at one end and carries a sprocket wheel 4, the purpose of which will be more fully described here inafter.

At three separated points on the truck platform 1 are secured upright guides 5, 6 and 7, two of these guides being arranged at the front corners of the truck platform, while the third is arranged centrally on the rear part of the platform. One of these guides is shown in vertical cross section in Fig. 3. 8 is an annular ring or frame to whichbrackets or bosses 9, 10 and 11 are secured. The brackets 9, 10 and 11 are provided respectively with guide lugs 12, 13

and 11 which are positioned to engage with the operative parts of the guides 5, 6 and 7. Each of the lugs 12, 13 and 14 is provided with a vertical aperture through which extends an adjusting screw 15. The lower end of each adjusting screw 15 is provided with a hardened bearing pin 16 which rests upon a hardened bearing plate 17 secured to the truck platform 1. The upper end of each of the screws extends through and has a bearing in a plate 18 secured to the top of the corresponding vertical guide bracket. The extreme upper end of each screw is adapted to be engaged by a wrench, the screws being shown square in the drawings. On each of the screws 15 there is a threaded nut 19 which engages with and supports one of the lugs 12, 13 or 14:. Each nut is held against rotation by means of a pin 20 which projects into a suitable aperture formed in the nut. The supporting of the lower end of the screw on the smooth bearing plate 17 permits the lower end to move slightly horizontally to automatically accommodate itself to the movements of the nut as the frame is adjusted angularly. The bearing of the upper end of the screw in the plate 18 is sufiiciently loose. to permit this slight movement of the lower end.

It will be observed that by the construction which I have described, the ring 8 is rigidly held against horizontal movement, but at the same time may be readily adjusted vertically, either in horizontal paralleltable 21. rests directly upon the upper sur. face of the ring and is guided and held ism or angularly by simply turning the screws by means of their squared upper ends-. V

21 represents aturntablewhich rests upon the ring 8 and upon which are mounted the operative parts of the machine. The turnagainst horizontal movement by means of rollers 22, 22, which engage with the inner surface of the ring. Iniorder to prevent the turntable from being lifted away from the ring, the table is provided with depending clips 23 which engage with the under sur- "face ofthe ring. j

The specific forms of construction ofthe 7 cutting mechanism andthe driving and con- .trolling'devices therefor form no part of port and my present invention and a detailed description of them will not be necessary. For

such a description reference canbe had to my co-pending application before referred to. It is sufficient here to point out that a horizontally-projecting elongated cutter frame 54 is provided which serves to supide a cutter chain 55, the frame 54 being rlgidly secured to the turntable21.

The cutter chain is driven by means of a motor (not-shown) which is mountedon the .underside' of theturntable and receives cur- I. 1 rent through thecable 60. For rotatingthe I turntable and the parts mounted upon it,

there is provided a winding drum 49 which is drive'mthro lgh suitable gearing, by the motor above referred to. Ajcable 51 isconnectedjfto the drum to be" wound thereon.

.The end of this cable maybe securedto one or another of the vertical studs or holders T 52 which are provided on the ringf8. Hori zontalidlersh'eaves 53 are arranged in a circumferential series, on the turntable 21'- Irrespectiveof which holder the end of; the

j; cable may be 'securedto, and irrespective "of .the position "of the turntable, these sheaves 53 'serveto. guide the cable from the holder tangentially tov the edge of the turntable.

The ,cable' can be used either {to turn the table 21 and the cutting mechanism on the.

ring 8, or to'advancethe machine bodily along the track; When the machine is to be moved bodilylas last mentioned, the turn- 55' mechani'sm, which is indicated generally by A,- power can be transmitted (when the tableislocked against turning by means of a bolt 62 which can be raised to; engage any one of a series of notches 63 formed in the edge of the turntable. By means of suitable turntable is in one position) from the motor to the sprocket wheelljvon one of the axles. By means of this power-transmitting mecha- "nism, it is possible to drive the machine along the track by means of its own power,

7 Prior to myinve'ntiomit has been customary to cut v kerfs in "coal faces at or near the bottoms thereof. Inmany mines, how- I height.

ever, conditions are encountered which make itpreferable to cut the kerf at or near the topof the seam, or at some point between the top and the bottom. .This is especially the case in mines where there are present in the coal seam bands or layers of impurities which must not be mixed with the coal. These layers are, of course, at different heights in different mines, and even vary markedly in height from place to place in the same mine. In fact, even in a glven room the layeror band ,of dirt may be inclined so as to be much higher at one side than atthe other. When such dirt bands are encountered, admachine embodying my invention can be used to cut them out; that is, the cutting mechanism is adjusted vertically, and angularly, if necessary, so that it will follow the dirt band and remove it,

thus performing the double function of getting rid of the dirtand forming a kerf to permit shooting of the coal.

The operation of the raising and lowering -mechanism will be understood from the foregoingdescription; but to make clear its utility. in a machine such as herein set forth, reference is had to Figs. 6, 7, 8. and 9. These figures show two of the ways in which the 7 machine 7 can be operated.

Referring first to Figs. 6 and 7 it will be observed that the machine is here shown as operating on a track which extends along the center of a room to the face which is to be cut. From the mine entry the'.' machine advances under its own power intov the room and'is'brought to a' position as close as is convenient to the face of the coal, The cutcutter arm having been effected, the'cable 51 is passed around the guide sheaves onthe turntable and secured to one'of the holders 52 as shown in Fig. 6. The cutting mechanism and the winding, drum are then set in motion, the tension in the cable serving to swmg the cutting mechanism from right to leftto cause it to cut a semicircular .kerf extending from one sideof the room to the other. In Fig. 7the kerf is shown half out and the dotted lines indicate the, position of t the cutter after the completion of the out.

After the cutting in one room is finished, the machine-1s moved by its own power over the tracks to another room where a more or less similar operation is repeated.

InJFigs. Sand 9 the machine is shown 7 working on a track parallel to the coal face to be cut.. The machine having advanced tion, .by meansof the screws 15. The cable .51 is then passedaround the guide sheaves on the turntable and made-fast to one of the holders 52. The cutting mechanism and winding drum are then thrown into operationiand the tension. of the cable serves to swing the a cutter arm from the position shown in dotted lines to that-shownin full lines in Fig. 8. vWhen this full line position is reached, the feed is stoppedand the cable is loosened, taken off from the holder 52 and extended along the faceof the coal to a suitable jack 51 :as indicated in Fig. 9. The cuttenarmis then locked against swingingbymeans of the bolt62 and the winding K drum. isagain started. Thedraft of they cable now-serves to draw: theentire machine along the track, the cutters meanwhile forming the kerf. IIIFlg. 9 the dotted line showing indicates the position of the machine at the beginningmof thismovement along the track, whilethe full line showing repre- .sentsthe machine after the cuttinghas progressed some distance. When the out has been completed, the machlne can be moved underits own power 1 to another working place as will readily be understood.

In the present mechanism I have so arrangedthe uprightsup-ports that, as a system, theyffurnish'a bracing supportfor the elongated cutting apparatus directly over the base structure, as In the case ofearlier forms-"of construction designed by me; but

it will be observed that inthe present convstruction two of the supportsuare arranged to pro vide two relatively widely separated abutments closetothe coal face, and preferably equi-distant therefrom, for -receiving r: and resisting the reactions ofthetorsional stresses transmitted-from the cutting apparatus as it swings across the front of the machine while at-work, the irest 0f the system of supports being arranged in transverse vertical planes near the rear of the base structure.

What I claim is:

1. In a coal cut-ting machine, the combination of a rigid base, a frame above the base provided with three triangularly arranged outwardly extending vertically apertured lugs, three vertical screws extending through the said apertures respectively and rotatable independently of each other for adjusting the frame vertically or 'angularly with respect to the base, the said apertures in the lugs being relatively large and the said screws being normally out of engagement with the walls thereof, means on the base for supporting the screws, nutsengaging the screws and connected'withcthe frame,'upright guides onthe base'sarranged to engage -with the lugs ofthe framexan'd prevent horizontal movement: of. the frame withrespect .to: the base, and an elongated laterally mov- 1 .able cutting mechanism. mounted on'and extending horizontally. from the said frame.

. 2. In acoal. cutting machine, thecombination ofia rigid base, a frame above the base provided with a plurality of outwardly extending lugs, screwsforadjusting the frame vertically with respect tothe base, the said screwsextending respectively through large apertures 1n the lugs, 'nutson the screws below and 1n engagement wlth the lugs'whereby theescrews areznormally out of engagement with the lugsg-means for holding the upper ends of the screws .against bodily -movement, the lower ends of the said screws being freely movable horizontally under the control of the said nuts, means-for preventing the: rotation of the nuts,: upright. guides on the base arranged to engage with the lugs of the frame and prevent horizontal movement ofthe frame with respect to the base,

and an elongated laterallymovable cutting -mechanism mounted on and extending horizontally from the said frame.

3. Ina coal cutting machine, the combination of a rigid base, a normally horizontal circular frame above the base provided with three widely separated outward-projecting lugs, three upright guides rigidly secured 'to the base and extending upward therefrom and'each positioned and formed to engage one of the said lugs on three sides thereof to prevent movement thereof horizontally in any of three directions, means for adjusting; the frame vertically with respect to the base, and an. elongated laterally movable cuttingmechanism mounted on and extending horizontally from the said frame. 4. .In acoal cutting machine, the. combination of a rigid base, .a normally horizontal circular frame above the base provided with three widely-separated outwardly projecting lugs, three upright guides rigidly secured to the base-and each positionedand formedto engage one of the said lugs to prevent movement thereof horizontally in any of three directions, means for adjusting the frame vertically or angularly with respect to the base, and an elongated laterally movable cutting mechanism mounted on and extending horizontally from the said frame.

5; In a coal cutting machine, the combination of a rigid base, a normally horizontal circular frame above the base provided with three widely separated outwardly projecting lugs, three upright guides rigidly secured to the base and extending upward therefrom and each positioned and formed to engage one of the said lugs on three sides thereof to prevent movement thereof horizontally in any of three directions, mechanisms engag- 40 comprising two upright supports situated at ing the said lugs respectively and operable independentlytof each' other for adjusting theframe vertically or angularly with-respect tothe base, and an'elongated laterally movable cutting mechanism'mounted onand extending horizontallyffrom the said frame; a 6. In a coal cutting machine, thecombination of a rigidbase, anelongatedlaterally 7. In a coal cutting mechanism, the combination of a rigid base,- three upright supports mounted onthe base andextending upward therefrom, two of said supports bein'g disposed at Widely" separated. points near the front end of the :base and'the third support being located on" the rear part of the base,.a horizontally disposed frame vertioally adjustably mounted on thethree upright supports, and an elongated laterally movable cuttingwmechanism mounted on" the horizontal frame and extending. horizontally from the base in position to cut a horizontally extending kerf when moved laterallyu v V I i; 8. In. a coal cutting mechanism, the combination of a wheel'supported rigid base, a system of upright su 'morts rigidv with and extending upwardfrom the saids base and widely separated points in a transverse vertical plane near the front end of thebas'e'to furnish two. abutments vclosey to the coal face and also a third upright .supportol--situ-:

ated. in a transverse vertical plane'inear the rear-end of the base, a horizontally disposed frame vertically adjustably mountedon all of the said upright supports, alaterally movable elongated cutter frame 'carriediby the a vertically adj ustable frame and projecting forward from the base to intersect the transverse vertical plane of the said front supports, power driven endless chain cutter devices mounted to travel" in a horizontal path around the periphery of the cutter 7 frame," and means for moving the cutter framewhen in operation laterally across the longitudinal vertical planes of the saidfront supports to form a horizontally extending kerf in front ofthe said base.

9; In a coal cutting mechanism, the combination of a wheel-supported rigid basef adapted to run upon and be braced by the rails of a mine track, an elongated laterally movable endless chain cutter apparatus car,-

-ried'by the baseand projecting horizontally therefrom, supporting means between the laterally movable cutter apparatus and the l base comprising aplurality of upright supports extending upward from the base and "held in upright positions at the angles of a relatively widely extended horizontal polygon, two of the said su ports being situated at widely separate ments for the cutter apparatus close to the xcoal face, and connections: between allof-the upright supports and thecutterapparatus for sustaining said apparatus and adjusting points near the front end of the base tofurnish twoabut it vertically inv relationto the base, motor devicesicarried by the-base, and driving connectionsawhereby the power of said motor devices is caused to "drivethe cutter apparatus and to move it laterally, thereby forming'a horizontally extendin kerf.

;= a In testimony whereofl a in the presence-of two witnesses.

Y DUDLEY T. FISH R,"

FRANK FALKENBAom;

Copies, thispatent obtained: fivcieenta each, by addressing then-Commissioner o fratentl,

1 l w lshington bi c."

my signature DLLEVIN, 

